Cabeiri Colony Life
Life on the Colonies A Day In The Life of a Colonist Every apartment comes with a device on the bedside table that functions as an alarm clock, radio, internet and entertainment device. Every morning, this device prints a clear plastic band similar to a wide hospital bracelet that contains a citizen's daily schedule. A printed schedule might look something like this: *0600 - 0700 Meal/Rec Time *0900 - 1200 Work *1200 - 1300 Meal/Rec Time *1300 - 1500 Work *1500 - 1600 Physical Activity *1600 - 1700 Community Service *1700 - 1900 Meal/Rec Time *2200 - 0400 Curfew in Effect There is some leniency in how the schedule is created. A citizen can choose to change their schedule in any order they wish as long as they remain within some parameters. At least one hour of physical activity a day, meals at regular intervals, and at least six hours of sleep per twenty-four hour period are required. A citizen's work hours may also be drastically reduced if they perform well or produce efficiently. Community Service or "community learning" is encouraged and may be volunteered for in exchange for work hours. Example projects include tending the agroecosystem gardens, restoring habitat appearance (removing graffiti, etc.), collecting items for charity and matter repurposing, helping the elderly, helping the local fire and police services, helping in the digital archives, tutoring children, etc. Common Slang *Base Material - The nutrient-rich fungal sludge that replicator devices use to create rough approximations of actual foodstuffs, or anything created with this stuff. *Breezer - An airhead or someone who has it easy, a Tellurian. (considered derogatory) *Chassis - A basic frame, the hull of a ship, a computer box, or a room without AR elements. *Fish - New citizen, Immigrant. *Hayburner - Wasteful or backwards person, a Tala'Talaian. (considered derogatory) *Jaunt - To explore the surface (or liquid layer) outside the colony buildings by rover or in a space suit. (This is a common leisure activity among Cabeirians.) *Jerry-built, Jerry-jacked - A device cobbled together from parts. A hacked or messed up program. *Jacked-up - A citizen who has illegal body modifications. *Junketeer - A tourist. *Sinker - A person who spends most of their cred on virtual goods (or most of their time in Iospace .) *Spaced - Anyone standing around in public checking their digital business subvocally and not paying attention to their surroundings. *Squarepusher - A person who uses a keyboard as their main input (instead of the keyglove, vocal, subvocal, or thought command systems available.) People with a job or a hobby that requires a lot of typing. Hazards The most dangerous hazards are small ones. Mold or fungal infections due to faulty or dirty air filters, mites and bedbug infestations sometime spread around the tourist districts, viral or bacterial infections spread through handshake or sexual contact. Due to the closed system, It is not uncommon to find oneself suddenly trapped in a quarantined area, though usually this doesn’t amount to much more than a shot or a cheek swab and an inconvenient delay before the area is cleared. All sections of the colony have very strict hours of operation. Off worlders are well advised to stick with a local or pick up a daily schedule as “closed” means a five minute warning before blast doors seal the chamber, recollect the oxygen in the room and cut power to that section. Fail safes such as oxygen masks exist in the event of a human becoming trapped in a closed section, but some natives like to scare visitors with stories of oxygen deprivation and death for those who aren't careful. Sample Character Traits Here are some example traits among NPC Cabeirians. Feel free to use them for your own character brainstorming... 'Positive Traits' Integrated Operations - This citizen has implants that allow them to communicate by thought or subvocally, connect to the internet wirelessly, and see AR and Iospace elements without the need for glasses. Gadfly - This citizen has an AI companion. This companion is originally bodiless but can be hosted in a robotic (typically a pet) frame. This useful companion has a limited skill set and personality, can aggregate and process information, and can be authorized to take care of a citizen's business matters. Some see gadflies as just another intelligent machine, others as trusted friends. Each gadfly is uniquely created and assigned to its user. If a user dies, the gadfly program self-destructs. ("Gadfly" is a slang term. The actual name of this program is GAD - General Administrative Drone) Extended Senses - This citizen can operate outside the normal human range for one of their senses. They might be able to see x-rays or ultraviolet, hear ultra low or high wave frequencies, detect smell as accurately as a dog can, taste the slightest variances in recipe, or posses either very sensitive or extremely tough skin. (If one has these modifications illegally, they are "jacked-up.") Iospace Reputation - This citizen has a lot of Iospace achievements. They might play games professionally or be a celebrity personality, blogger, or designer. While off-worlders and immigrants probably won't care too much about this, a native who pings this citizen's ID might act more favorably towards them, sometimes going so far as to offer free or discounted items and services. 'Negative Traits' Fragile Immune System - This citizen comes from one of the more isolated cells in the colonies. They are dependent on a daily dose of antibiotics and are not exposed to external pathogens often. Failure to take the drugs regularly or contact with foreign material could easily lead to this citizen falling ill. Fragile Body - This citizen regularly dodges meals or exercise, or spends most of their time in low/zero gravity. They are weak and clumsy when operating under normal gravitational conditions. Box Shock - This citizen has suffered an unfortunate side effect from working in stasis. A part of the brain is failing and causing some odd and uncomfortable issues. This may be an episodic, recurring problem, or a sudden one that requires therapy or surgery. (See Cracked.com's The 5 Most Terrifying Ways Your Brain Can Turn On You ) Truman Syndrome - This citizen is or was the subject of a reality show. They may or may not have been willing and knowing participants. This may reflect on them through odd or extreme-seeming behavioral traits, chaotic (probably staged) events happening around them, negative rep, floating cameras, etc. Signal Sickness - This citizen is still getting used to the constantly high-traffic environment of Cabeiri's airwaves. Dizziness, headaches, nausea, or ringing in the ears are all common side effects of signal sickness. Most individuals adjust within a few weeks to months. (Some remain sensitive to the electrical activity and choose to either take medication, invest in faraday lining for their quarters, or take leave of the colonies entirely.) Personalities & Venues Dr. Julian Patel - Considered the founding father of the Cabeiri colonies, it was Dr. Patel who first conceptualized using the stable rotation of Cybele's many moons to facilitate 360 degree, 24 hour communication. The original plans for the signal bouncing and boosting arrays that make system-wide communication possible are credited to him, and many citizens decide to give their children names that start with the letter J in his memory. Rumor has it that a silicon replica of his brain was created a few years before his death, and that Dr. Patel still "lives" to advise the ruling council. Dr. Maja Opartisk - If Dr. Patel is the father of the colonies, Dr. Opartisk is its mother. Her team of health and wellness officials and business psychologists first developed the programs and algorithms which are responsible for Cabeiri's job assignment and advancement, the planning of daily schedules, and the creation of monthly and yearly contentment polls. Maja was well loved for her kindness, humanity, and dedication to ensuring the colonists safety and well-being. Like Dr. Patel, rumors persist that a synthetic replica of Dr. Opartisk's mind still exists and advises the ruling council. ' ' Blixt Braka - Blixt is the popular announcer for the Rumble Races and other sports and Iospace competitions, known for her outrageously styled pink/purple hair and enticing outfits. Since her development, she has grown in popularity and expanded her broadcasts to include a few funniest home video and blooper type broadcasts and reality shows. It is an open secret that Blixt is an AI program developed for the Cabeiri Public Broadcast (CPB) network, allowing her to be "on the scene" holographically in several places at once. Her image is frequently used to promote government agendas and advertise approved locally-made products, occasionally she is tapped to make public service announcements. ' Mr. Blue Sky '- An underground webcast and radio personality, the charming Mr. Blue Sky has a gentle deep voice and appears with coiffed blue hair and blue weather-themed suits with bowties (occasionally bowler hats and an umbrella) in his video webcasts. Seeming to have insider information about colony events, his news reports are laced with speculative rumors and subtle warnings for citizens to stay alert and remain suspicious of authority. Naturally, Mr. Blue Sky's actual identity and whereabouts remain a secret. His broadcasts are heavily encrypted to make pinpointing an upload location impossible and he has never made a physical appearance or accepted an offer to be interviewed. Despite occasional dark or graphic content, the overall mood of his updates are generally optimistic and always end with his signature sign off - "It's a beautiful day, without a cloud."